


Sweet Silence

by SjelThief



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Explicit Language, F/M, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-26
Updated: 2016-05-18
Packaged: 2018-05-29 06:18:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 18,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6362887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SjelThief/pseuds/SjelThief
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Some people would call him 'goth'. Those people were also known as idiots, no offence. He had always thought labels like that were moronic. He just happened to dress in black, evade the burning sun like the plague, and decorate his dark bedroom with fake skulls. </p><p>As for her...<br/>She liked to decorate herself with fake skulls.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Warm Summer Breezes

**Author's Note:**

> I will post one chapter per week, on Sundays.  
> Constructive criticism is welcomed with open, grateful arms!
> 
> Well, enjoy!

His mother had been quite chipper that day, more so than usual. He noticed she had been humming and grinning every time he dared leave his man-cave, finding her happily scribbling away at some large blueprint sheet. He didn't ask why; he was sure she wouldn't shut up about it during supper. 

How right he was...

"...lots and lots of windows. They asked for an ultra modern style, though to keep the outside looking as much like the houses we already have as possible so it won't stand out too much. Ooh, I already know on which side to build the bay-windows, and the chimney will be so sleek and pretty! Also..."

Seriously, he wished he had brought his earphones; it was getting much too annoying to bear. Sure, it was fun to see her that animated, but could she keep away from so much work-related talk during supper? He stabbed at his food absent-mindedly, contemplating which font he should use on that last project of his. At this point, even thinking about his own work seemed appealing. He decided to just up and leave, finished with his meal, grabbing his nearly empty plate and used cutlery so he could drop them in the dishwasher on the way back. He sent a curt nod his mother's way, his own way of thanking her, while ignoring the glare his step-father had trained on him.

He was used to it.

"Sebastian, aren't you remotely curious about the wonderful people that'll move in?" he asked him in a forced, even tone, as if he was chastising a five-year-old.

He blinked once, blankly staring back at his step-father with the eye that wasn't blanketed by his thick black hair. "No." Then he left. He hadn't cared about the oh-so-fucking-loved farmer, whatever his name was, when he moved in; why would this case be any different?

Once he closed the door to his room behind him, he gave out a heavy sigh. He pinched the bridge of his nose, glaring at the inside of his eyelids, before dragging his feet back to his computer. The monitor blinked back at him and he resumed coding, making sure he didn't omit a semi-colon by accident or forgot to close a div class before he got his vibe back.

About an hour later, he heard polite knocking at his door; his mother. She was the only person allowed in his room — although begrudgingly — that bothered to knock anymore. He hummed loudly in welcome, though did not look up from his work.

"Hey," she breathed out, a soft, motherly smile stretching her lips. "I got way too carried away there, sorry." That succeeded into getting his attention. His gaze flew from the screen to his mother, who was standing right behind his desk. "How's your thing going along?"

One of his eyebrow rose, though with it being hidden under his hair, his mother didn't notice. "Coding. Why do you ask?"

She smiled wider and shrugged. "I forgot how good it felt to design something from scratch, and I..." she trailed off, gaze sliding to the dark floor for a while before refocusing on his. "Well, I forgot how hard it was too, sweetie. That's what you do all day, right?"

He didn't bother correcting the difference between what he was doing now, coding, compared to his usual programming. He personally thought coding and programming were two very different things, though he knew there was a rather large ongoing debate on the matter. In his opinion, programming is _creating_ the logic, while coding is putting it to use, _translating_ it. The first was much more complex and fun to do.

Still, he slowly nodded, not exactly sure how to respond to that unusual acknowledgement, "Thanks, I guess...?"

His mother laughed, knowing exactly what was going on through her son's mind. "I baked cookies, feel free to steal any more if your brain's famished," she added with a smile, before showing him the plate from over his screen. That's when he realized his room had been slowly invaded by the distinct, sweet aroma of freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies.

He huffed in amusement, a small smile gracing his thin lips as he graciously accepted the plate with a curt nod in thanks. His mum ruffled his hair before taking her leave. She disappeared through the doorway, though quickly popped her head back through.

"Oh, by the way, I'll need your help with designing a room!"

"Uh, why?" he drawled out, gaze narrowed in confusion.

"It's for a quote on quote 'gaming room', with request of no TV screen glares and space for a large gaming desk, something called 'DDR' and a... rock band? I'm not so sure I understood right, and it's more up your alley," she explained, an expectant grin ever-present on her features.

"Yeah, sure, I'll help," he somehow replied noncommittally, though nodded once with a faint lopsided smile before focusing on his programming.

"Thanks, sweetheart!" his mum beamed. "Is early Friday good for you? I should be finished with the first floor by then."

Any day was good for him, it's not like he was stuck working at the damn Jojamart. He nodded, glancing back up at his mother.

"Great! ...I'll let you get back to work, now," she kindly concluded, sending him a kiss before gently closing the door behind her.

Huh.  
Maybe these new neighbours will be worth meeting — one of them, at least.

Though why they would want to move to Pelican Town, of all places, utterly confused him. This place was horrible. All he wanted was to move to the city, get away from here, and these people would just... spend so much money just to live in this hell-hole? Were they ill? out of their fucking minds? They had no previous ties to this place if they had to build a new house, unlike that farmer who had inherited his grandfather's land...

Still, he shook his head, successfully clearing his mind before resuming his code.

 

_< div class="container">_

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_ <h1>add title later </h1>_

_ <p>whatever bullshit they want to say </p>_

_ </div >_

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* * *

 

A few months had rolled by, and the new house was finally done and inhabited. The walls were left white, as was requested, so they could choose which wall to paint which colour themselves. The floors were dark chocolate hardwood, finished dully, and the staircase was spiralled, its ramp silvered iron, sleek and intricately woven. Clint had given it his best handiwork, and it showed. The windows were numerous and large, though treated so you couldn't see much from the outside. Aside from the window-count, the new house looked from the outside like it had been built with the same stencil as the rest of the village. It was just North of Sam's place.

Sebastian's mother was incredibly proud of it. She often referred to it as her jewel; she had spent more time on it than their own home, and with many more years of experience to expand upon it.

On the other hand, he hadn't met them yet, and he honestly didn't want to. Sam had mentioned it was a mother and a daughter, both names escaping him, while the father helped them settle in before going back to the city. He'd visit them often, apparently, because he obviously had enough sense to not move in to this backwater town. Abigail seemed to have quickly befriended the girl, though she had always been quick to befriend whoever didn't judge her first. She was way too friendly towards him than he was her. He wasn't even sure he considered the purple-head as a good friend yet himself...

He shook his head, taking a long drag of his cigarette and looking out across the dark lake. No, he wasn't jealous his friends had met the girl already and immediately liked her. He didn't blame them; he knew she was into video games, as were his two friends and himself. He wasn't jealous they were helping her setting up, unpacking, painting, having fun—

"My dad's been trying to stop smoking for fifteen years. Never once succeeded for more than two weeks," an unknown voice chuckled behind him.

He blinked in surprise, though didn't turn around as he coldly retorted in an even, practically monotone drawl, "Don't tell me what to do."

"I'm not," the voice laughed this time, making him glare at the moon's reflexion. "I'm just starting a conversation."

"Horrible start," he bluntly countered, before taking another drag of his cigarette.

"Meh, we're conversing. Quest completed," the voice continued, still sounding amused, though it came from his side this time. "I'm Lauryan."

He risked his gaze towards her, only to glimpse her profile; she was staring over at the lake's opposing bank. He did note her hair was long, dark and unkemptly wavy and her nose sported soft concave slope. Her lips were full and unconsciously parted due to a slight overbite. He quickly looked away.

"Sebastian." Then, he asked in a very bored tone, "Why on Earth did you choose to live here?" The question had really been bothering him. Secretly.

She chuckled at that, dryly, making him frown, though said, "It was my dad's idea. We wrote down names of pretty isolated towns around the city, drew them at random, researched a bit about them and just called if they had room for two more. This place offered to even build our house however we wanted it, so we chose here."

"That's not what I asked," he lamely pointed out.

"Most people are content with that, though..." she trailed off, before huffing derisively. "Imbeciles." This earned a bit more of Sebastian's attention, and he turned to her as she added with heavy seriousness painting her voice, "They just want to hear something happy and comical, don't want to think there's a darker truth lurking somewhere.

"Mum's kinda sick. She has no immunity system; it just stopped renewing itself as she got older. She needs fresh air, nature, and little to no contact with new viruses," she explained further. Then she sighed, smiled and shook her head. "The previous excuse still stands. It was quite fun to do, actually."

"Your father doesn't stay," he monotonously added. If his friends liked her, he might as well put in a bit of effort. Ignoring her would not win him any favours, and he needed the distraction right now. His day had been too bleak — more so than usual.

"He can't work from home. Plus, we're used to it; he often works abroad," she nonchalantly answered, glancing his way. Moonlight caught onto the shiny piece of metal imbedded into the flesh over her eyebrow, on the side of her face he couldn't see before. She was beautiful.

"You can?" It sounded more like a statement than a question, though, like most of his questions did anyways.

She hummed a response, fondly grinning. "I mostly translate stuff. You?"

"Programming, coding..."

"Seriously? That's awesome!" she exclaimed, pivoting her whole body so she could face him. She was so sincere in her enthusiasm that he couldn't help but crack a faint lopsided smile. "Did you code any game? I tried once, but it was so buggy I gave up..."

"Yeah. Which game?"

"Pong," she admitted, scratching the middle of the bridge of her nose with her middle finger, the other fingers stretched further back from her. "One side worked half the time, and when it worked the ball-thing kept switching speed... It was like playing at sixty fps before it suddenly dropped down to twenty for no apparent reason." She chuckled to herself before she added, sharing her head at the memory, "I ended up just downloading an already-made version."

He huffed in derision. Beautiful and into retro video games; Sam should be all over her. "Coding means following instructions."

"Always been horrible at that," she pointed out, snorting at herself. "Even my cookies never taste the same." This earned her complete silence from him, which she may have taken the wrong way. "Hey, they still taste amazing! I know the consistency the dough needs, it's just the sugar ratio and flavour that vary!"

"Calm down, they're just cookies," he interjected before she fell deeper into her strange, random tangent. He couldn't entirely erase the amusement from his tone, the whole surrealism of the situation getting to him. He was talking with a girl he met mere minutes prior about homemade cookies. Whatever he thought would come of this conversation, it could never have come close to this...

"My cookies are fucking amazing, just you watch," she mock-threatened him with a playful smirk, jabbing her index finger three time in the empty air before her. Then, she dramatically fisted that same hand, brandishing it in the air. "I'll ensnare the world with them, and when someone asks for the recipe, I'll say; I dunno. Just do whatever until the dough feels about right."

The conversation dropped to bemused silence for a little while, and they both just looked out towards the lake. Lauryan sliced through the stillness with, "Thanks — for my gaming room. Your mum told me you helped plan it." She glanced back at him. "It's better than I imagined."

"Mum knows nothing about video games, she made a smart move," he agreed.

"I'm thanking you, stupid," she cheekily countered with a smirk. "You're welcomed to try it out whenever."

"Mmh," was all he replied, taking a drag of his cigarette, only to notice it had practically burned up on its own. What a waste.

It seemed the girl noticed for she said, "Heh, I would offer a replacement but I don't smoke." She then quickly hummed to herself before she turned on her heels, adding, "I'll be going back; I'm not done with painting my room yet. Sam told me you'd be here, so.... yeah."

Once more, his reply was only "Mmh." It was still comforting to know that his best friend had thought of mentioning him to her earlier. It made him wonder, though, just why or how he got into their conversation. He wasn't sure if he even wanted to know.

A few footsteps away, the girl halted. She didn't turn, she didn't backtrack, but she did say this, "By the way, I like your hair. Looks good."

Sebastian then frowned at the moon's reflexion as the summer night's breeze grew considerably warmer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Fy faen,_ making the coding actually _look_ like code was suuuuuuch a pain! The thing kept applying, no matter what I did... I just ended up coding each  < > and it finally did what I wanted. XD


	2. Summer Heat and Dipping Feet

He was glad he was all alone, for once. His old fan was stuttering in his face, his coal hair barely whipping back behind him. Both his usual hoodie and black t-shirt were left abandoned on his bed, crumpled beyond recognition. He wore a black tank top instead — the very reason why he was glad he was alone. Just owning such an article of clothing was embarrassing enough...

A crippling glare was trained on his monitor, narrowing further as his eyes read along. What the fuck does he mean by 'too neural'?! Any more flowers and the whole website would look like it was made by an unusually computer-savvy grandmother! He shut his eyes tight, deeply breathing in as he pinched the bridge of his nose. His index finger twitched, practically begging to hold onto a lit cigarette, though one quick look at the time managed to stifle its sudden eagerness. There was no way he'd smoke inside either; his mother would never let him live it down.

The fan faltered, the plastic blades falling still. Sebastian didn't even open his eyes as he smacked the tired appliance in a lazy attempt to bring it back to life. The motor kept still. He sighed once more, leaning back against his desk chair. He minimized his emails and popped Steam open, browsed through his library and decided stealth-killing draugr would pleasantly kill the time left before sundown.

* * *

Luckily, there were no clouds to trap the day's heat, meaning the young night was much cooler without the sun there to pump the sweat out of him. Sebastian had switched out his tank top for a normal black shirt; no way he'd wear that thing in public. He had also grabbed a random hand towel with him, planning on dipping his feet in the lake's water.

Once he had settled himself, he slipped his carton of cigarette out of his pocket. He realized when he flicked the lid up that he'd need to manage them a bit better until the next time he'd drive to the city. He lit up the snowy cancer stick, the soft red glow bright in the darkness. He could just feel day's stress melt away from his nerves...

Someone sat down beside him, cross-legged. There were no verbal acknowledgements, nothing. He glanced at his side, and he noted it was... eh... Laurie? Yeah, Laurie. She was glaring at the empty air in front of her. Seems he wasn't the only one that had a shitty day today, though he was perfectly content and grateful with the silence.

He finished his cigarette, while she just sat there. He spared another confused glance her way, only to notice her withering glare into emptiness had faded away, replaced by a faint smile. He just lightly shook his head and glanced back down at the water, lazily dangling his legs through it.

Half an hour passed by, and he lit up another cigarette. If she wasn't happy with that she could just leave. She stayed. He resumed ignoring her, trying one more time to figure out how to 'unneutralize' the damn website he had apparently failed to make properly. He almost missed it when the girl stood up to leave. She really didn't say anything; she just left.

* * *

It was Friday. Normally, Sebastian would look forward to that day. He'd get to see his friends at the bar, destroying Sam at pool and talking with Abigail, who just sat there and drew. It was always a welcomed distraction from his solitude. Now, now he was dreading Friday.

The dynamics changed. Laura had found her niche amongst his circle of friends, and with him always shut out from the world in his room, he hadn't socialized with her. Just thinking of the term 'socialize' practically rose bile to his throat — and no, that silent evening did not count; they didn't talk. It wasn't socializing.

What if she would play against Sam instead? What if she was better than he was and destroyed him herself, taking away that childish crown from him? He absolutely loved beating Sam at pool.

Still, what was done was done. He was used to be on his own anyways, one more day wouldn't change much. He pushed the Saloon's door open, bee-lining to his usual area, bracing his over-thinking mind for whatever would happen.

Sam was waiting for him, leaning back against the pool table, holding out the second cue for him to grab. Abigail was sitting on a sofa, as per usual, violently scribbling away at her sketchbook. Leia was there too — wait, no, that's from Star Wars... New Girl was sitting on the other sofa, cluelessly staring at her own, obviously brand new sketch book. She looked up to probably ask Abby something, but ended up noticing he had finally arrived.

She smiled and waved hello before complaining to Abby, "His ears look weird. So do his eyes, and his chin, and his hair. Basically his everything." She held her sketchbook with as less fingers as possible, as if it procured her the least favourable of sensations. She grimaced too, tongue childishly hanging out.

"You just need practice, Lo," the purple-haired girl absent-mindedly replied, singing out the words monotonously, not even looking up from her passionate drawing.

"But writing him would be much simpler!" Lo whined — that sounded wrong, probably a nickname — as she threw one hand in the air. "Listen: _'His leaf-shaped ears poked out of his glorious golden mane, the top half of which loosely tied into a fine fishtail braid on the back of his head. Wisps of loose locks floated in the warm late-spring breeze, his leafy gaze bubbling with mirth as he observed dark petals whirl and twirl around him._ " Her voice had been coloured with a sweet, dreamy sheen, as if remembering a fond memory. It had been quite pleasant to hear.

"The whole point of being here is to not do what we do all day," Abigail started, shaking her head, though the smile stretched upon her lips betrayed her. She, too, liked that artistic description.

"I either practice guitar or work at Joja, Abby games or helps the shop, and Seb skulks in his man-cave or surfs the net," Sam pipped up, before hitting the ball in a very good direction. Well, good for Sebastian, horrible for him.

"He's a programmer, dimwit," Lo went to his defence, though her tone expressed much more confused incredulity than defensive anger. Still, Seb sent her a nod in thanks; he had given up correcting people a long while back. "If he's skulking that's because no one bothers to get it right," she added, though she turned to look at him. The pierced eyebrow rose, almost unsure. "Right?"

"Right," he decided to confirm nonetheless with a short nod before focusing back on his current game of pool.

Sam and Abby shared a look, though they both shook their heads. That particular conversation wasn't picked up by anyone after that, seeing as Sam was trying to think up a good strategy and miserably failing. Abby was too concentrated on her drawing, and the other girl, well, his back was turned to her, so if he looked back it would be as subtle as dog piss on snow. They did exchange casual banter, in which Seb did not partake much unless he had something interesting to add. By they, it was meant as mostly Abigail and Sam.

Sebastian heard a harsh exasperated sigh from behind him before the dull thud of a sketchbook being carelessly thrown down followed. "I'll be right back..." Lo trailed off through strained teeth. She had almost passed Sam before he blocked her way with his cue.

He 'tsk'ed three times. "If you're planning coming back with your notebook, Lauryan, you're not going anywhere," he quickly interjected, smirking. So that was her name... "How about you give pool a try?" he suggested, his smirk dripping through his tone.

She just scoffed indignantly. "That'd be signing your own death warrant." Sebastian blinked once, freezing up. He knew it. He knew she'd be better than him, that she'd— "I almost poked an eye out last time I tried."

Or not.

"And I _translate_ ; I write for fun," she then corrected with a smirk of her own. "I'm sure Violet here draws during daylight too," she added, thumb swinging over her shoulder to nonchalantly point at Abigail, who smiled sheepishly.

Recognition flashed through Sam's eyes. He cleared the way and grinned, saying, "Oh yeah! Go ahead, then." She quickly thanked him, _'that easy?'_ painted onto her features as she glanced back at both Seb and Abby before she made a dash back home. That's when Sam turned back at him, preppy. "Hey, have you two met before?"

Sebastian frowned. Wasn't he the one who told her he'd be by his house's lake that day? Sam's memory was worse than he reckoned... "Yeah, she introduced herself. We talked a little, then she left. Haven't spoken to her since," he just shrugged, making his next move on the pool table. Well, it was the truth.

"I think she's nice," Abigail chimed in, looking up from her drawing. "Plus, she belongs with us. She's got piercings and tattoos: the others would just stare and judge her."

"Eh," Sam started, drawing the syllable out, hitting the ball. "Alex seems to like her too."

That's just because she's beautiful, Sebastian thought, his gaze following after the ball. He only noticed his friends' amused stares when he looked up. Had he said that aloud? He glared. "Shut up, you're both thinking the same thing."

Sam shook his head, but kept smiling. "She's got charm, yeah, but beautiful?" He scratched the back of his head. "I dunno, dude."

"I agree with Sam, Seb," Abigail added, though she was smirking instead of smiling. "Alex's bitch is beautiful, Lo's... unruly." Then, she sung, "But we all have different tastes."

His glared withered further, flying from one face to the other. "Shut up, both of you."

"No chance," Abby countered, ecstatic. "I'm having a field day!"

"Yeah, you've never acted this way before," Sam joined, nodding.

"I'm acting fucking normal."

"That's exactly it!" Abby exclaimed, grinning. "That's not normal; she's new."

"I just remembered I'm on a strict deadline. See you next Friday." Sebastian promptly cut in, royally pissed off, as he tossed the damned stick on the velvety-green table. You wouldn't know he was at his wits' end by just looking at him; he wore glares as sunglasses.

He practically ran into Lauryan on the way, though just made his way past her. He heard her ask Sam and Abigail about what was wrong with him before he was too far from earshot through the bar's loud music and chatter. Once the door closed behind him, he reached into his pocket to grab his cigarette carton, slid his last one out and stalked his way over his spot by the lake. He'd go the city the next day anyways.

He knew he would dread Fridays.  
He fucking knew it.

* * *

It was as if the previous day had never happened. He was with Sam in his bedroom, playing music, and he hadn't mentioned even or allude once to the unpleasant turn their last conversation had taken. It really was as if it had never happened, and he was quite grateful for it. Sam and Abby both probably realized how childish and idiotic they had been acting and decided to drop it.

That was good. Very good.

"Okay, so, I was thinking this riff here..." Sam piped up, voice laced with concentration, as he started playing some very impressive-sounding succession of notes. His hand was low on the guitar neck, where the gaps between the frets were smaller. "What do you think?"

"You should write that down," was all he replied, though he did nod. It sounded good. "Could you play it a bit quicker? The tempo we already have's quicker."

"Yeah, yeah, no prob," the guitarist assured with a grin, before setting down his beloved guitar on his lap in order to write what he had played down. "I could record something lower-sounding and slower to play behind..."

"Mmh, and I could follow either melody a demi-tone lower."

"Oooh, yeah, that'd be—"

A knock echoed through the room, and both boys turned to look at the closed door. Sam just told whoever was behind it that it was open and to just get in. He seemed surprised, though. Seemed no one really bothered to knock at his own door anymore too... Seb never did, anyways. It was Penny.

"Hey, sorry..." the timid redhead apologized as she glanced from Sam to Sebastian, before looking back at the peppy musician. "But the kids want to learn how to read music; I was hoping you'd lend me a book—" she cut herself off, glancing at the ground. "Stupid idea, sorry, I'll just—"

"No, no, it's fine Pen!" Sam assured, smiling. He set his guitar aside and went shuffling through his old books. He didn't notice the girl smile shyly at the nickname. "There!" he exclaimed as he found it, walking over to her. "If you have any questions, you know where to find me," he added with a playful wink, before heading back to his previous seat.

Penny just hummed in agreement, apparently distrusting her voice, and made to leave the room. Sam frowned for a split second before he called the redhead back in.

"Hey, what kind of music do you usually listen to?" He missed the incredulous glance Sebastian sent his way and the raised eyebrow.

She nervously ran a finger along the old book's spine as she mulled the question over, gaze glued to the floor. She ended up shrugging. "Whatever's good on the radio, I guess..." she trailed off, before glancing back at Sam. "Why?"

It was his turn to shrug. "Dunno, curious, I guess?" he awkwardly replied himself. It was nauseatingly sweet to watch them like this. "I'll have to make you listen to a couple of bands, figure out what's your music style."

Penny softly smiled at that. "Yeah, that'd be nice..." Then, the wall seemed very interesting to her. "I'll just... I'll just go. Vince and Jodi are waiting."

"Yeah, yeah, sure!" Sam snapped out of it, grinning. "Have fun!"

"Yeah, you too," was all she said, appreciation colouring her tone, before she left, closing the door behind her.

* * *

Turns out his glare hadn't scared Lauren — Lauryan away, since she was sitting next to him by the lake later that day. That, or his friends somehow convinced her otherwise. He knew his friends wouldn't tell her of his supposed interest in her, no matter how ludicrous the mere idea was.

She hadn't said a word yet. She had quietly sat down, just like last time, and she hadn't come angry this time around. She seemed quite content, actually. She had decided to dip her feet in the water as well, casting her flip flops aside. She just plopped on her back and did whatever; Sebastian didn't look back at her.

He was very much tempted to bark at her to leave him alone, to urge her to find her own spot near the lake, but he somehow liked the quiet company. It was like... It was like he was alone, but not really, and it was still comfortably silent. He didn't know how to explain it, it was just... pleasant, simple. He hadn't felt that way in a long, long while.

So he didn't speak. He pretended she wasn't there. He left not too long after she did, seeing as it was late and he needed to finish his damned website in two more days. He'd go to the city the next day, though. One day without even one single cigarette was enough...


	3. Burns and Cranberry Juice

The sun was as murderous as ever, its angle too low to allow any proper shading. Sebastian’s portable speakers rung through the air, echoing louder against the walls, escaping through the opened garage door. Still, he had made sure the volume was not too loud to bother the people working inside – except perhaps those two working in the lab right behind him. It was a small comfort from suffering through this heat, splotched in oil stains. Promises of a cold shower to get rid of the sweat and grime that was soaking his skin occupied his thoughts.

Nah, that was a blatant lie. That wasn’t all that was on his mind. It had been nearly two weeks since Lauryan had silently joined him by the lake’s bank for the first time, and she had come along every other day since. Most of the time she was beyond pissed off when she showed up, only to mellow out as time went by. To be fair, he probably looked the same. He wondered, though, why she hung out with him of all people.

He figured he was the only one in this fucking hell-hole who knew how to appreciate a good silence.

He blew his hair out of his face as he slid out from under his motorcycle, wiping his oily hands on the old rag he usually brought along with him. He then fiddled with it a while, trying to find the least greasy patch so he could wipe the sweat off his brow.

“Fuck!” he hissed, immediately examining his forearm. A patch of skin had grown sickly pink, slowly getting darker in colour. The metal of his motorcycle grew unbearably hot when subject to direct sunlight, and he just had to accidentally rest his arm on it. Typical. He mumbled a few more profanities under his breath as he made his way back inside his house, to the kitchen.

His mother was talking over coffee with a woman he had never seen before, but he could easily tell this was Lauryan’s mother, with her chocolate, wavy hair. They both had the same nose, too. She even had a small diamond stud pierced on her nose! Both women stopped bantering when he entered the room.

“How’s the bike, Sebastian?” Lauryan’s mum asked, grinning widely.

“Great. Got burnt, though,” Sebastian sneered at himself, showing both women the fresh burnt mark on his arm.

He headed towards the sink so he could run cold water over the shallow wound. The dull numbness was only to be ephemeral, though he knew by experience that if he ran cold water on a minor burn and ignored it, it healed fast enough.

“You know, my little Laurie’s been window shopping for one of those puppies for a while now…” Lauryan’s mother trailed off, her smirk subtly colouring her tone. “Younger, she used to love going on rides with her father”

“That so?” Robin pipped in, cheerfully curious. “What’s stopping her from actually getting one?”

The other mum just shrugged, features morphed into a sheepish smile. “We just didn’t have the space back in the city,” she explained, before adding to Sebastian, “I’m Isabella, by the way.”

Seb nodded once in acknowledgement as he lightly dabbed his arm dry with the kitchen towel. “I’ll get back to it,” he told them, making his way back outside.

“Wait, Sweetie!” his mother called out. He turned around, leaning against the doorframe, politely waiting for whatever she wanted to add. “I’ve invited Isabella and Lauryan for supper today, so heads up,” she sung, clearly excited for the incoming visit.

He nodded once more, humming a positive response. “I’ll help out.” And then he left.

He heard, though, Isabella say when she thought he was out of earshot, “He seems like a good kid.”

He could practically hear his mother’s proud smile as she said, “You have no idea.”

It was his turn to smile, though it was faint and lopsided, as he closed the door behind him.

* * *

He absent-mindedly passed a hand through his hair, glancing at his reflection in the mirror. He personally didn’t care much about how he looked as long as he wasn’t dirty. Though, his mother liked when he dressed up nicely when they had guests over, so he made the effort.

He had swapped his comfortable hoodie for a navy blue button-up shirt, though had rolled up the sleeves. He had also slipped on his only pair of black pants that weren’t ripped at the knees, or wherever, as well as socks, for a change. He had always preferred to be barefoot while inside… He had kept on his usual black leather straps.

He checked the time, deciding he’d check if his mother wanted help to fix up supper. The soft smell of roasting chicken breasts covered in olive oil, cheese and hazelnuts floated to his nose, mingled with the sweetness of softly boiling cranberry sauce. Once in the kitchen, he grabbed a sharp knife and started cutting up the salad garnishes that were resting next to the cutting board.

Robin thanked him, though quickly focused back on spreading homemade garlic butter upon halves of baguette bread. “To be honest, I wasn’t expecting you to clean up so nicely,” she spoke up with a sheepish smile. His mother was adorable, he had to admit. Sneaky, but still adorable.  With impeccable timing that confirmed his thoughts, she added with an innocent enough smirk, “I thought you had a reputation to uphold.”

He rolled his eyes, chuckling. “You’re welcome.”

She laughed in turn, adding, “So what do you thin—”

“Hey, mum, can you help me?” Maru’s voice rung out from her room. Whatever she wanted to ask him had vanished right then and there. “The zipper on my back’s stuck!”

“Yeah, sweetie!” Robin shouted back, putting the bread down and washing the butter from her fingers. She then turned back to Seb, adding for him with a motherly smile, “Look after the chicken, okay?”

“Sure, no problem,” he steadfastly agreed, curtly nodding once.

It didn’t take too long for his mother to come back, Maru quick on her heels. She wore a light purple tunic, as well as light grey tights and a light jacket. “I’ll take care of the table, alright?”

“Thanks, sweetie,” Robin sent her way, sliding the bread in the oven. She looked back at Sebastian, grinning, “They should be here any minute, Dem’s waiting by the door.”

He hummed in acknowledgement, though he grabbed glasses from the cupboard, helping his half-sister. He had nothing better to do in the time being anyways. A few minutes after they were done, they heard new voices coming from the front door. Robin ushered her two children to it, grinning all the way, warmly welcoming the expected mother/daughter duo that had just walked in.

Sebastian hid well his smirk, seeing as he noticed his step-father’s strained smile. He obviously wasn’t expecting Lauryan to look the way she did, with her dark ripped jeans from which hung in a half moon a bulky chain of silver skulls, off-the-shoulder forest green loose-knit and neon green and blue-laced black skates.

It was _glorious._

They were then escorted to the living room, where various appetizers were spread out. A bottle of red wine was resting there as well as a pitcher of icy cranberry juice. Maru and Lauryan sat on the shorter end of the L-shaped sofa, so Sebastian gladly sunk in the corner, distancing himself from the girls. Lauryan was closest.

Before he sunk in the corner for good, subsequently sinking in his somber thoughts, he poured himself a tall glass of cranberry juice. He had never been a fan of alcohol. He watched as Lauryan poured herself a glass of juice as well, though she did playfully mention she preferred hers with a splash vodka.

“How’s that burn of yours?” Lauryan then quipped at him with a smile. “Mum told me.”

He subconsciously glanced at the pink mark on his skin, which had slightly dulled in colour. “Tolerable,” he shrugged.

“Still,” the girl added, sighing dreamily as she closed her eyes, head resting back against the sofa. “The freedom to go wherever you want, whenever you want…” She chuckled to herself. “I envy you.”

An eyebrow rose, though she never noticed since her eyes were closed. And she was facing away. “That’s new…” he trailed off, uncertain. “But thanks, I guess.”  

She chuckled once more, smiling, and looked over at him. One of her eyebrows quirked in amusement, and she reached out to friendlily pat his shoulder. After that, Maru quickly caught her into a conversation, though Lauryan did include him once in a while. He quickly tuned them out,  the melodies of voices the only thing he heard.

_“One ring to rule them all, one ring to find them. One ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.”_

Sebastian looked up at that, the familiar words pulling him out of his over-thinking mind. He noticed Lauryan was fondly staring at her index finger as she said this. Curious, he glanced at it, only to see darker splotches of skin near its base. He quickly noted they weren’t splotches, but what appeared to be squiggly lines in a much tanner shade of skin. He rolled his eyes, though sported a lopsided smile.

Of course.

She then looked up at Maru, resuming the conversation that had brought up Lord of the Rings. “What’s actually written is _Ash nazg…_ something in Elvish script,” she admitted with a sheepish smile. “That’s the only part I remember.”

“Do you have any more tattoos?” his half-sister asked her, curiosity coloring her tone.

“Mmh,” Lauryan hummed, enthusiastically nodding at the same time.  “A tribal dragon and a few odd things.” She took a sip of her juice.

“Ooh, can I see?” Maru cooed, eyes widening in eagerness. Sebastian was taken aback by that; he would have thought she’d snort in disdain or something, passively-aggressively sneering at Lauryan that she was ruining her skin.

She was either a really good actress or he had misjudged her. He was leaning more towards the first, yet he had to admit that he never really talked with Maru in the first place. The fucking perfect angel Maru…

Lauryan pulled him out of his somber thoughts as she laughed that pretty laugh of hers. He glanced at her, only to notice her gaze was focused on him, for some reason. She then explained her outburst to Maru with, “Then I’d need to lift my shirt up and push my pants down.” She winked at him, smirking, before looking back at his half-sister. “We could go swimming before the season’s over, though. I’ve got a lovely new bikini that showcases it rather well…”

Maru nodded in agreement, laughing, most likely working out a schedule in her mind, before she turned to him. It was as if she just realized he was still there. He was about to look away in disinterest, but she asked him, “You know Lord of the Rings pretty well, right? It’s your kind of thing.”

He nodded, though also vocalized a bored, “Yeah.”

Maru swung her head once in his direction, grinning, as she was looking at the other girl. Lauryan scooted over closer to him and showed him her hand. He could see the Elvish script much better, and he nodded in approval. “It’s pretty cool,” he sincerely said, giving her a lopsided smile.

“Thanks, Seb, I know,” the girl sung, smiling, leaning her back a bit deeper in the fluffy sofa once more. “You should come swimming too. We could invite Sam, and Abby, and Maru, you could invite Penny.” Sebastian noted she hadn’t scooted back closer to his half-sister. They were sitting as close as they did when she visited the lake, even more since he could feel her clothes.

Maru seemed to like the idea and they started trying to figure out a date that would be good for everyone, not even waiting for his answer. Both girls continued talking about random stuff after that, promptly losing his interest once more. Still, he was invited to voice his opinion and such once in a while, so it wasn’t that bad. It wasn’t much fun, but it wasn’t bad. Besides, he was distracted more often than not by Lauryan’s touch whenever she started talking animatedly with his sister.

He glared at the floor, not really understanding what was going on with him.


	4. Old Friends and Gutsy Fireflies

He watched as dozens of fireflies glided above the lake, their soft light reflecting against the ripples in the water. He took a drag of his cigarette. The summer’s breeze shuffled through his hair, carrying with it the swirling smoke slithering from his lungs. He passed a hand through his hair, only to pop on his phone’s lockscreen.

Twenty-seven minutes left. 

Sebastian rolled his eyes at himself, immediately stuffing his phone into his deepest pocket. He stood back up, walking towards the nearby tree. He propped one feet against it, leaning back. He took another drag of his shrinking cancer stick.

He had received a new project – a proper programming commission – and he needed to draft out how he’d make it work. His client had requested a creative interface, and creativity was his strong suit.

Twenty-four minutes late. 

He sneered at himself, suddenly realizing he had taken out his phone once more. He was half-tempted to harshly chuck it at the lake. He was getting anxious, and he didn’t even understand why. It was just Lauryan. Still, he couldn’t shake the ominous feeling that something was off today... He shook his head, ignoring his over-thinking mind, and decided to resume thinking about his new work project. 

Forty minutes late.  
Forty-five minutes late.  
Forty-seven.

Seb had to admit to himself that he was slightly disappointed, though he wasn’t too bothered by it. Something must have come up, and honestly, he had always thought just sitting in silence by a lake was boring for anyone who wasn’t him. He didn’t blame her. He heavily sighed nonetheless. 

He pushed away from the tree, and sat back down near the lake’s bank, lighting another cigarette. Now that he had an idea about how his interface would match up with what had been requested, he pulled out a small paper notepad and a blue ink pen, jotting down what he had thought up. It wasn’t much for now, but the program he would need to set up would be easy enough to type up.

* * *

Anonymity. That was what he liked most about the city, its rampant anonymity. There were no social conventions to force him into acknowledging whoever crossed his path. Instead, people thrived in their own bubbles, earphones shielding them form the world around them. _That_ was the reality he craved.

He relished in anonymity for the moment, though, Avenged Sevenfold passionately screeching though his own earphones. He absent-mindedly followed the path that had long ago burned in his brain, ignoring whatever happened around him. He reached the traffic lights just a minute too late this time, forcing him to wait for his turn to cross the road. 

Unnaturally high-pitched laughter managed to pierce through his comforting music, and he glanced at his side to see a group of Haleys waiting for their turn as well. One of them winked at him, smirking and biting her lip, though he didn’t look long enough to see what else she’d do. He didn’t give a flying fuck. 

Fucking plastic conformists.

It didn’t take much longer for him to reach his destination. He pushed his earphones down to his neck as he pulled the store’s door open, the overhead chime echoing his arrival. The comforting smell of glossy comic books wafted to his nose, making him smile. 

“Seb!” the blond guy behind the counter exclaimed, beaming, as he looked up as his new customer. “How’s it going, dude?” he cheerfully added as he walked over to Sebastian, catching his arm in a handshake-bro-hug. 

“Pretty good, Kenny, you?” he greeted back, smiling lopsidedly. 

Kenny nodded, silently saying it was going pretty well on his end too. “I stashed the replica in the back, I’ll fetch it,” he then announced, cheerfulness dangerously radiating from him. Sebastian couldn’t help but think something was up with him; he was way too cheerful compared to usual.

The raven-head glanced around the store, walking over to the props section to see if anything new had popped up since his last visit. He noticed a rather pretty metal Slytherin crest bookmark, and after a quick look at everything else, he gently grabbed the velvety case and headed towards the counter, where Kenny now waited.

“Hey, Seb…” Kenny trailed off, a self-satisfied smirk stretching across his face. Sebastian cocked an eyebrow, though kept quiet so his old friend would just spit it out. “I came across a certain Wolverine comic I’m certain you don’t have yet…” he started, carefully sliding the mint-conditioned comic book on the counter towards Sebastian. Then he just grinned. “Consider it one of those late birthday presents I owe you.”

Sebastian chuckled, shaking his head, though inspected the comic with childish curiosity. “You’re the best, Kens.”

The blond shrugged, dismissively waving his hand as he replied, “I know, I know, I’m awesome.” Then he smirked, adding, “Well, it pays to be a nerd and have an even nerdy friend that just happens to run a comic book store, eh? Oh, and here’s the replica you ordered.”

Kenny showed him a sleek silver dagger, the smoky black hilt slightly reminiscent of a rapier. Sebsatian’s eyes searched for the runes engraved on the thin metal strips of its hilt, and he smiled. He looked up as his old friend and smiled at him. “Sam’s gonna love it, thanks for the trouble.”

“No, thanks for the order. At first, I showed that beauty off right here, but too many people wanted to buy it themselves…” Kenny admitted, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. “Regulars, too. I have a whole new fandom to both join and appease now,” he joked, shrugging. 

“Heh, send me a message if you’re stuck in another debate,” Sebastian chuckled, paying for Sam’s birthday present and his new bookmark. 

“Will do, dude,” Kenny assured, grinning. 

The two old friends caught up a bit, though more customers walked in the store, monopolizing the store owner’s attention. Sebastian took his leave with a short nod goodbye, his new comic book safe in the laptop slot in his messenger bag. He pulled his earphones back on his head, restoring his bubble as M. Shadows shouting about being buried alive, and started his trek back towards his motorcycle.

Once he reached it, he contemplated going to his spot in the middle of the forest, the one with the view on the city. He didn’t exactly feel like getting home just yet, and as he had slipped the comic book in his bag, he had noticed one of his old college-rule notebooks was still in there from last time. 

He slipped off his earphones, folding them upon themselves and slipped them into his bag. He dug around in his pockets for his keys. He unlocked the disk lock before softly kicking the side stand upwards, and then got on his bike. And he was gone.

* * *

The sun was still rather high in the sky when he reached his secret spot. We walked up to the cliff and look down below. He had never felt vertigo, but there was this odd sensation pulling at him when looking down like that. He wasn’t suicidal, but just knowing one single step was the difference between life and death… it was hard to explain. 

He walked away from the ledge, sitting down at the nearby tree’s base. He leaned his back against it, head resting back on it as he closed his eyes, the sun dancing on his deathly pale skin. He sat there for a while before he started rummaging through his bag next to him for an ink pen. Once he found one, he slipped out is old dark green college-rule notebook. 

The edges were frayed, and the two right corners kept slightly curling upwards. Like all his old school notebooks, there was no label on it; he had always colour-coded them by memory. He fondly skimmed through the first pages, JavaScript jargon running along the lines. His gaze traced the few technic sketches besides the lines of code. He continued flipping through the pages until the pattern broke, giving way to short paragraphs. He quickly skipped through them so he could find an empty space.

He brought one leg closer to him as he straightened his posture and rested the notebook against his raised thigh, pen hovering above the empty lines. Inspiration struck as he jotted down;

_‘A single thread, slithering as do snakes,  
Coiling and constricting; suffocating.’_

His hand halted, fleeting inspiration already depleted. He sighed at the realization and reread the two same lines over and over again, as if more would just pop in his mind. It didn’t. He rubbed an eye in annoyance, though slipped his other hand in his bag to grab his new bookmark. He observed its details, softly smiling at himself, and another line crossed his mind.

_‘A single thread, sleek and sluggish,  
Stitching wounds—’_

He was at a loss again. He looked up at the far-away city, the tall buildings peeking out from the lush forest in the distance. Absent-mindedly fiddling with his pen, he blankly stared at the horizon. 

_‘—artificially, slyly.’_

He read the whole thing over with a faint smile. It was hardly great literature, but he had always liked to work on his creativity this way, especially when he was about to plunge headfirst into a new programming project. He briefly wondered if Lauryan wrote poetry occasionally as well… She wrote all the time. Though, he’d never admit to anyone he did.

* * *

Sebastian had not even noticed the day reel by. He had only been pulled from his work when his mother had fetched him for dinner, and then again, all he had been thinking about as he ate was work. He had been half-tempted to forego his nighttime outing altogether that day, though his addiction to nicotine strongly disagreed. 

Sighing to himself, he hoisted himself to his feet, grabbing the closest carton of cigarettes and his lighter on the way. As he approach his spot near the lake, he noticed someone was already there. He wasn’t expecting Lauryan to be there again. Way to turn the tables. 

Once he reached her, he sat down next to her and lit up his day’s first cigarette. The night was still and quiet, so he could easily hear her irregular breathing. She shuffled a bit, passing her hand on her face, and just kept staring at the water. Sebastian glanced at her, though for some reason, couldn’t bring himself to ask what was wrong. 

It’s not that he didn’t care, it was more like… he didn’t want to betray the silence they had always shared by the lake. It may be moronic, but it meant something to him. It seemed it did to Lauyran as well, because as she glanced back at him – she probably noticed he was looking at him – she just smiled reassuringly and shook her head. 

Her body betrayed her expression, though. Her eyes were clearly bloodshot, and her smile had been rather pathetic, heavy with sorrow. She was curled around herself, arms wrapped around her knees, and was blankly staring at the lake, ignoring the fireflies floating around them. She was forcing her breathing to steady, though it came too shallow. 

Sebastian shook his head at her stubborn pride, though empathized with it. He stretched out an arm across her back, slender fingers lightly curled around her shoulder. He gently rubbed his hand in comfort against her arm, as he often did when either his mother or Abigail were feeling particularly down. 

He wasn’t expecting her to easily give up her façade and actually lean into his touch, resting her head back against his shoulder. She just silently wept, so he silently comforted her. A gutsy firefly drew close, and Lauryan caught it, a tired chuckle escaping her lips as she felt the bug blindly poke around inside her hands. She let it go shortly and let just watched it float away, sighing, but the tears had stopped.

* * *

It was Friday night again, though Lauryan was a no show this time. Sam and Abigail tried their best to hide their worry, but their unusual silence gave it away. Sebastian also noted that Sam was particularly awful in their current game of pool. The blond kept making rookie mistakes he hadn’t done in a few years, and it was only getting more and more pathetic. Abigail was drawing, as per usual, though she was sluggish and often paused. 

Abby harshly shut her sketchbook and stood up. She frowned as she mumbled, “I’ll go check up on her.”

Seb was worried too, granted, but this was getting fucking ridiculous. “Okay, she’s upset, I get that, but it can’t be such a big deal,” he cut through, an eyebrow raised.

“Wait, you don’t know?” Sam spoke up, eyes wide in surprise. 

Sebastian’s gaze narrowed as he glanced between his two friends. “Don’t know what…?” he carefully drawled. 

Sam just averted his gaze, while Abigail just sighed. She seemed to be searching her words, though she just sighed again, throwing the idea away, and just bluntly stated, “She dumped her boyfriend.”

Seb felt the blow, though he wondered if it was as strong as it ought to be. He almost felt… relieved. He frowned at himself, though to his friends it seemed as he was irritated for the poor girl. 

“They were pretty serious too, but they just kept fighting since she got here,” the purple-haired girl continued, shrugging her heavy shoulders. “She wouldn’t tell us much, but the guy has serious trust and jealousy issues she had never noticed before.”

Sam finally spoke up with, “My guess is he wanted her to come back or something. She gave him her family’s example, and he wouldn’t hear her out and kept guilt tripping her.”

Something clicked in Sebastian’s mind. When Lauryan walked up to the lake, she was always pissed off. Well, sometimes she was peppy, but most of the time, she was out for blood. This new piece of information made much sense – he had never tried to figure out why she was irritated, mostly because, as previously stated, he wore scowls as sunglasses. He didn’t need a reason. 

Lauryan broke things off, but she still cared for the guy. She just decided to cut to the inevitable, and honestly, he admired her a bit more for it. Yeah, to some, she might be running away from her problems, but if they guy wasn’t willing to pitch in, why should she do all the work? Both his friends also most likely stopped their immature teasing since they learnt the girl already was in a serious relationship. He just hoped they wouldn’t pick it up once more now that it was over.

Abigail seemed to be drawing her own conclusions as she remarked, “Wait, you knew she was upset, but not why? How come?” She seemed more confused than anything else. 

He blinked once as he easily lied, “Mum mentioned she seemed off,” with a lazy shrug. “She gets along well with Isabella.” Looking back at this moment as he tried to sleep, he could never figure out why he lied. Probably because he didn’t feel like going through an interrogation at the time.

The two bought it without a second thought, though the mood took a rather morose turn with him joining the train. Abby left shortly after that, mumbling something about a girls’ gaming night fuel by chocolate and ice cream that would hit the spot right about now. The two guys let her leave. They continued playing for a short while before they called it a night in turn.


	5. Innocent Snoops and Smirks

He invited his mother inside his room after she had knocked, though Sebastian didn't tear away his gaze from his monitor. His eyes were slightly narrowed as he combed through his code; there must have been a fucking semi-colon missing somewhere because it wasn't working the way it should. He was however receptive to whatever his mum wanted to tell him, though he instead heard a chair being dragged his way. Confused, he looked at his left thought the corner of his eye.

It was Lauryan. 

She sweetly smiled when she caught his gaze, though her eyes wore traces of pink. She had obviously cried some more earlier that day... "Hey." Her voice rung soft.

"Hey," he greeted back, though hesitated between continuing working or contributing to the social call he had just received. She _had_ pulled up a chair for herself next to him, after all.

It seems she picked up on that internal debate for she explained with a smile, "Ignore me; I just wanted good company." He quietly nodded as he turned back at his computer screen, suppressing the pleasantly surprised smile that so desperately wanted to crop up his lips at the 'good company' part. She enthusiastically added shortly after, "Plus, I've always been fascinated by modern-day magic!"

He glanced back at her, an eyebrow raised. "Modern-day magic?" he echoed.

"Yeah!" She nodded. "You use a language to get something completely different out of it. Like... if you use a pound sign and three letters, you get a colour."

"That's the easiest way; you can also use numbers, and six letters instead of three to get something more specific," he remarked offhandedly. 

"See? Magic," she insisted, slowly waving her hands outwards. "You're a wizard, my friend, no point in denying it," she smugly added as she prodded his side with her elbow.

He chuckled, rolling his eyes as a lopsided smile subtly tugged at a corner of his lips. He liked the parallel she thought up, and as he dwelled a bit more on it, he could easily see her point. He glanced back at her through the corner of his eye as he admitted, "I always choose a wizard class in rpgs."

"Heh, very fitting," she commented, chuckling in turn. "I, myself, favour the arts of the sneaky sneeks," she admitted, sounding so sophisticated that it turned out more adorable than anything else, how odd as it may sound. She even had a hand dramatically over her chest and her eyes closed. She dropped her act and looked back at him. "If I can be an elf it's a no-brainer, too." She looked away, a dreamy film casting itself over her features as she added, "Growing up, I never dressed up as a princess, but rather as an elf."

"I can easily imagine that," he added, only now noticing he had been facing her ever since she had chuckled, his work forgotten.

She glanced back at him, an odd smile, one that exuded pity, spread across her face. "It nearly broke me when I was told I had myopia... I had convinced myself I really was an elf somehow." Then she smiled and laughed, "I still just wear my glasses when I need them; I'm blind half the time."

"You don't have contacts?"

"Nah, I just wear them when too far from the tv screen to see clearly," she shrugged. "It's not that bad, just annoying enough." Then she smirked, "Do you?"

He proudly shook his head. "Twenty/twenty."

She mock-glared at him. "Lucky bastard." He honestly laughed at that, and Lauryan quickly joined in. Once it died down, she glanced around his room. "I like it here, mind if I snoop around? I'll let you work."

He shook his head. "Be my guest."

She hummed in appreciation and stood up, humming a familiar tune under her breath. He curiously watched her for a few seconds before he delved back into his coding. It took him a few minutes before he remembered what he had been doing before the unexpected, yet appreciated visit. That damn missing semi-colon.

* * *

"You kinda look like this singer I like."

The sentence randomly slid through the silence in which they had been dwelling for a while, making Sebastian look away from the screen. He had forgotten she was still there. He looked around before his gaze landed on Lauryan, who had apparently taken over his bed. She was lying on her stomach, facing him and legs sticking out in the air above her as she was reading through what seemed to be a few of his older comics. 

Her gaze was still on the page before her as she absent-mindedly added, "Well, his hair's shorter." 

"And who's that?" he asked, knowing she wouldn't say anything more until he asked. He had noticed it was how she made sure people were interested in what she said if it was completely random.

She glanced up at him, smiling. "Andy Biersack." He slowly nodded once, only to look back at his work. He barely had time to type anything more before she laughed and added, "Black Veil Brides' singer."

"Oh, right," he realized, recognition flashing through his mind. Then he froze up as a 'wait a minute' screeched through his body. He slowly swivelled his chair around, an eyebrow cocked. "Why do I look like him? I don't use that pointless makeup."

Lauryan laughed at his antics, though teased as soon as it died down, "Look him up..." 

He swivelled his chair back to face his monitor and did as told, curiosity piqued. He didn't even need to ask her how to spell the guy's last name, he found him quite easily. He never really bothered knowing much more than bands' and songs' names... Though now that he saw him, the resemblance was uncanny. 

He noticed in the corner of his eye that Lauryan at down next to him once more. "See?" she rhetorically asked, smiling. He just hummed in acknowledgement, minimizing the browser. She sharply breathed in, as if she suddenly remembered something she had been meaning to ask him. "Hey, it's Sam's birthday soon, right?"

He hummed a response. "In three days."

"Aw, shit..." she swore, sighing. She sheepishly added, "Any last-minute ideas? I have no idea what to get him... and I don't think I can find remembralls this side of the world."

He chuckled at that, though helpfully supplied, "Well, picks are a good alternative... anything nerdy too..."

"Yeah, but I'd need to go to the city..." she sighed, gaze trained on the floor. "Does he like to read? I could make a few nerdy bookmarks."

"Heh, he usually prefers movies over books," Sebastian told her. He looked over at her, an eyebrow raised as he added, "How's the city a problem? I could drive you there."

She blinked a few time, though frowned. "No, you have your work and..." she trailed off as she noticed he wasn't going to dignify her half-hearted objections with a response. She sighed, resigned, as she smiled in appreciation. "Thanks. When?"

He glanced over at the corner of his screen before he said, "Tomorrow afternoon? Just text me when you're ready."

She nodded, still smiling. "Thanks, Seb." She stood up, squeezing his shoulder in appreciation as she headed back towards the pile of comics she had left to read on his bed. "Do your magic, I won't bother you. Wolverine's calling out for me, I can even feel it!"

He rolled his eyes at her antics, though sported a faint lopsided smile.

* * *

Sebastian had just turned off his motorcycle's ignition when he heard a familiar laugh to his side. Turning his head to the side, he noticed both Lauryan and Abigail were heading their way, the first laughing at whatever the purple-head had said. Abby hugged the other girl goodbye before she enthusiastically waved at him, and he waved back, though curtly, as always. He got off, kicked the support down and stood there, waiting with his arms crossed in front of his chest. 

Once Lauryan reached him, she looked over at a retreating Abigail. "Have you ever noticed she mentions Alex a lot? And by a lot, I mean _a lot_."

He hummed in acknowledgement. "Or she's insulting Haley."

She snorted at that. "We all insult Haley, that snobby bitch."

"True," Seb acquiesced, nodding once, though sighed before he asked her, "What did she tell you this time?"

"Nothing, she was actually pleasantly civil. Creepy." She faked an exaggerated shiver as her gaze flickered to the side. 

He gave her a lopsided smile before he gestured to his motorcycle with his head. "Let's go."

She smirked. "What, can't wait for me to wrap my arms around you?"

He froze, not expecting that. Well, she often dropped playful comments like that with Sam or even Abby, but with him, not really. He just glared at her as was his usual go-to response, missing the amused smile she sent his way. She started laughing, though, and he couldn't help but soften his gaze and roll his eyes. 

"Let's just go, Lauri," he repeated, sighing in resignation. She just laughed harder, though she complied without one more word. She did wink. 

He had to admit to himself, as they glided across the empty road, that having her arms wrapped tight around him and her cheek gently pressing against his back felt much nicer than it normally should have...


	6. Oceans and Tattoos

He had always enjoyed staring at the blurry ocean's horizon, absent-mindedly listening as waves crashed on the shore, the strong water pulling the white sand along with it back into the ocean. He had always liked to feel the cool raindrops soak through his hair, as well as inhale the crisp scent of petrichor. It might seem strange, but he had always thought the sky was much prettier when it was covered in clouds -- though not necessarily rainclouds. 

He wasn't used to see the ocean bathing in sunlight without a single cloud to be seen. It was a sight he decided wasn't one of his favourites. He was incredibly grateful for the parasol he had claimed and hadn't inched away from its shade ever since he had made it to the beach.

He just watched, bored, as his friends played volleyball on the beach. Well, not just his friends; Alex had joined their game the moment he noticed them, the sport junkie that he was. Sebastian couldn't wait for the indoor part of Sam's birthday...

"Nah, I tell you, I could easily beat the two of you all by myself!" Alex obnoxiously claimed as Lauryan and him scored for the umpteenth time. 

His teammate quirked an eyebrow and smirked, stepping out of the game's zone. "Be my guest," she sang, crossing her arms. "I'll go join my bored friend over there," she added, grinning, as she nodded in Sebastian's general direction. 

Alex's head snapped in her direction, replying in an astonished tone, "Boyfriend?" He glanced back at Sebastian at the same time, eyes wide. 

"Boooored friend," she drawled out, lightly chuckling. 

She uncrossed her arms and started walking across the sandy volleyball court, only to friendlily pat the jock's shoulder before she sat down in the shade next to Seb. She leaned back on her hands, elbows locked and feet crossed. 

"Aren't you dying with that black shirt on?" she asked him, glancing back at him. 

"I'm managing," he bluntly stated, shrugging his shoulders. 

She chuckled at herself, adding, "Let me guess, can't wait for the video game tournament?"

He just hummed in agreement, silently watching as Sam and Abigail played against Alex. The sports nutter still managed to score most of the time, his arrogant claims turning out rather reasonable. Abigail seemed determined to score against him.

Lauryan was watching them as well as she confessed, "Same." 

They both sat in silence, though she slipped off her loose light turquoise tank top after a while, clearly exposing her ebony bikini. There was a deep blue skull drawn on one of cups, while the strings were that same shade of blue. What caught most his attention, though, was the gorgeous, lithe tribal dragon slithering up her side, from a bit lower than her hip bone to her ribcage. It was from de side and looked quite simple, since it was black, but the small details were astonishing.

He didn't have much time to stare at it much longer because she stood up and offered him her hand, playfully smirking. He just stared up at her, an eyebrow cocked, as he lamely said, "I'm not going fucking swimming."

"What are those, then?" she asked, cutely pouting, as she poked the fabric of his black swimming trunks with the tip of her toes. He just replied with a glare. She rolled her eyes in response, smiling, as she added, "And it's not to swim; just to get a dip. It's scorching." 

His glare slightly softened and he reluctantly nodded after a few seconds. She did have a point. She hummed, pleased, only to bend down and grab his hand, helping him to his feet. He was about to walk towards the shore when she crossed her arms, smirking. 

"If you don't take that shirt off, I will..." she trailed off, her smirk seeping through her tone, as her gaze rolled to the side.

He huffed in response this time, though he quickly pulled his shirt off, not wanting to soak it. The black fabric didn't even have time to hit the ground before he was grabbed by the hand and dragged towards the waves.

"Hey, wait up!" he hollered over her bubbly laughter, having nearly tripped on the towel on which he had been sitting. He didn't notice his cry had immediately gathered the other three's attention. 

The water was cold when he reached it, though it soothed his warmed skin. Lauryan let go of his hand when even walking became a chore and dropped down in the water, swimming the rest of the way. She stopped when the water could lap at her neck. Once Seb reached her she smirked and dunked her head below the water.

His shoulders barely sunk in the water, though he stopped there and followed her example. He assumed they would just get back out of the water, though once he resurfaced, he noticed she was floating on her back. Her tattoo was floating dangerously near his line of sight. He slightly smiled at it as he traced some of the larger lines with his index.

This made her laugh and speak up, "I gather you like it?"

He hummed. "Yeah."

* * *

The couch on which he was sitting was soft and very comfortable. He had invaded the corner the minute he stepped inside the room, the fluffy cushion behind him filling the sharp corner behind him. One of his feet was propped up against the edge of the ebony coffee table, the other folded underneath him. Abigail was fiddling with the console, while the other three wireless controllers were lying on the table. 

Lauryan finally stepped into the room, two large bowls filled with steaming nachos in her arms. She had been last to take a short after-sea shower, claiming that it was her house; she'd be the one stuck with cold water if it came to that. Her thin black and blue glasses were beautifully framing her almond eyes. They gave her a much nerdier, oddly sophisticated look, though it fitted her as well as her usual style. At least, that was what Sebastian thought.

"Haha, you finally look like the nerdy bookworm you really are!" Sam laughed, mockingly prodding her side as she walked passed him. 

She dryly laughed as she sat between Abigail and Sebastian. "Yeah, yeah," she sighed, taking the other two off guard with her weird reaction. Seb remembered she absolutely hated wearing her glasses... 

Sam rose his hands in innocence, "Sorry, sorry, what's wrong?"

She shook her head, smiling with reassurance, "Yeah, no, sorry. Touchy subject..." she trailed off, glancing at Seb through the corner of her eyes with that last part, weakly smiling. He nodded once in sympathy.

"What, being a nerdy bookworm?" Abigail asked, eyes tilted to the side in honest confusion. Lauryan was the self-proclaimed queen of nerds...

She shook her head, weakly smiling, still. "The glasses."

The two nodded in realization, dropping the subject, though obviously didn't quite understand. They were just glasses, right? What was so bad about that? Sebastian, however, felt all warm at the thought that his new friend so easily confided in him. When they talked, it never felt serious or heavy, though now that he thought about it, she shared some pretty personal thoughts with him. 

He suddenly felt the urge to return the favour.  
Next time, he assured himself, next time. 

He was pulled of his thoughts as Lauryan kindly dropped his controller into his lap and watched as she friendlily draped an arm around Abigail's shoulder and sung, "So, sweetheart, what are we playing?" 

"Halo!"

As time when on, their rather casual tournament quickly shifted into girls against boys. After a while, they switched, Sam teaming up with Abigail. They also switched games once in a while, various party snacks sustaining them, thought they were playing Diablo when a wide grin split Sam's face clean in two. Penny had just shyly walked into the dark room. 

"Pen, how are you?" he immediately greeted her, hitting pause on his controller, freezing the whole screen with his character's menu. 

The redhead nodded, kindly smiling, as she answered, "Great, what about you?" After she got her similar response from Sam, she smiled and waved at Lauryan. "Thanks for inviting me..."

Said girl waved a hand downwards in dismissal, smiling, "No need for that, you're always welcomed."

Penny grinned wider and nodded, a 'thanks again' echoing from the gesture. Sam moved over to give more space to the redhead, starting the domino effect that led Sebastian to give up his perfect corner. 

Lauryan grabbed his arm to stop him as he was about to sit further away on the shorter side of the sofa, half-whispering so the others wouldn't hear, "Just move over and stretch your legs straight; I'll have enough space." He rose an eyebrow in response. "It's fucking annoying to watch from the side," she explained with a sheepish smile.

He nodded at that and stretched his lags straight over the shorter end of the L-shaped sofa. Once Lauryan had made herself comfortable -- which meant one leg stretched out like his and the other propped up against the edge of the coffee table -- she exited the game and popped Netflix open. 

"Birthday Movie Night has officially started, what movie shall we watch?" Lauryan bubbly proclaimed, sending the remote over to the birthday boy. 

"Something scary?" Abigail immediately proposed. "I heard there was a Silent Hill movie."

Surprisingly, Sam countered with, "What about a comedy first?" 

Nobody objected to that idea, but Abigail added, obviously deflated a bit, "A horror after, maybe?"

"...Maybe," Penny weakly replied, insecurity ringing through her voice.

* * *

He had been longing for this three days ago. He had been longing for the horizon darkened by miles of rain plummeting towards the sea, the warm summer breeze chilled by the rainy wind. The sun was hidden away behind layers of clouds, incapable of robbing him of his personal hydration. He had a waterproof black jacket on top of his black shirt, though he was savouring the raindrops slithering down his scalp. 

He saw a bolt of lightning streak through the clouds, hitting the water far ahead, and he fondly counted six seconds before the clap of thunder followed. He frowned when he could make out footsteps creaking the docks, though he didn't turn around. It was probably just Willy walking around his shop.

The footsteps were only getting closer and closer towards him. He prepared a passive aggressive warning in his mind for whoever was coming near him, though the sentence died on his lips as he instead asked, his incredulity gratefully only slightly seeping through his tone, "Did mum tell you I'd be here?"

It was Lauryan.  
Again.

She laughed at the unexpected question, though shook her head. "No, Maru did."

He huffed at the response, looking back at the ocean with an irritated glare.

"She's worried about you, you know?" she rhetorically asked, to which he silently replied with a roll of the eye she never saw. "Doesn't want you to get sick," she added as she slipped something in his hand. It was the handle of a closed umbrella. 

He glanced back at her, but she was staring at the rainy horizon. Her wild curls stuck to her face, soaking wet as well, though she was smiling. Another lightning bold illuminated the sky as he started at her, illuminating her features bright white for a split second. He glanced back at the umbrella in his hands and as the thunder rolled, he opened it, holding it above the both of them. 

It was Maru's umbrella.

They both stood there in their usual silence until Lauryan randomly blurted out, "He never liked it."

Sebastian frowned as he glanced back at her. "Who never liked what?"

She sharply looked up at him, seeming utterly puzzled. "Who never liked what...?" she echoed, drawling out the last word. 

"You just said 'He never liked it'," he explained, slightly amused that she had been so deep in thought she didn't realize she had spoken aloud.

"Oh..." she only replied, glancing at the weathered wood of the docks. Her hesitation made her shift her weight before she sighed. "I was just thinking... My ex never liked my dragon." She didn't look back up at him. 

He frowned though, confused. "...What?"

She shrugged, looking up at him this time. She didn't seem sad, the opposite in fact. She was seething. "I got home all proud and happy and he immediately popped my bubble, saying I was ruining my skin with that ink. We passively aggressively fought over it for a month before he just started denying I even had it." She then calmed down, deeply breathing, as she averted her gaze. "You saying you liked it, I dunno..." She sounded so adorable with that last part. 

"What about your parents?"

"Oh, they loved it, but you know," she sheepishly answered. "They're my parents."

Sebastian chuckled at that. "I empathize."

They both fell in silence once more, though it was regularly shattered by the comforting roaring thunder. Sebastian promised himself he'd find something to share with her next time she visited him during the day. Lauryan gently leaned her head against his shoulder after a while, reminding him of how he had woken up the morning following Sam's birthday, on Lauryan's sofa. His head had been resting on hers back then, and as he reminded himself, he leaned his head back on hers again. 

He only briefly smirked at the empty air in front of him as he remembered Sam and Penny had practically slept the whole night in each other's arms.


	7. Umbrellas and Mussed up Hair

It was finally getting colder. Sebastian puffed out his cigarette's smoke as a sly shiver ran down his spine, managing to seep through his thick hoodie. He passed a hand through his bangs, though sighed in contentment. His last commissioned job was finished and paid for, so now he had all the time in the world to further his own personal project; his own indie video game. 

It was a rogue-type game, gloomy and gory, just like he liked it. 

Lauryan was sitting next to him -- well, technically lying on the grass next to him. Glancing back at her, he briefly wondered if she was asleep. She stirred a bit, though didn't open her eyes. 

Staring at the moon's reflection rippling on the water's surface, his thoughts ran back to his game. He had the base coded out already, but the icons and all the art-related stuff was taking an awful long time. He liked to think he was pretty decent in his drawings, with all the years he spend drawing out his ideas in secret notebooks, though he knew he didn't hold a candle to Abby's amazing artwork... 

And be damned if he asked for help.

* * *

"...packed with armed people. The informant was sitting alone in a reclusive booth, waiting for you with her rich green cowl over her head. One quick, subtle nod your way confirms her identity," Sebastian read aloud, looking over at Sam. "How do you reach her?"

The blond's gaze narrowed as he glanced at the table, deep in thought. "I'd avoid looking suspicious, so I'd go get a pint of mead for the both of us, acting like we're old friends meeting in a tavern, smiling fondly or something," he answered, nodding in thought at the same time. "What do you think?"

Seb nodded, throwing the dice. He checked the numbers and nodded, lop-sidedly smiling. "No suspicions gathered. As you sit down, you notice she seems nervous. After you ask why, she replies that the situation has gotten worse over the past few weeks. Refugees are now flooding her tribe and resources are rapidly dwindling. She believes the time to fight back has arrived, and so do the Elders." Sebastian looks up at Sam, silently telling him to make his choice. They were used to this. 

"I'd first ask how you're doing over there!" Sam exclaimed, cheekily grinning. Seb rolled his eyes, though still smiled back as he rolled the dice once again. He winced. "She tells you he's been the target of much jealousy and an attempt on his life has been made. He pulled through, though security's tighter."

"Ahh, I knew I shouldn't have left you alone over there..." Sam sighed, shaking his head. "Okay, I--" he cut himself off as polite knocking sliced through the basement. 

Sebastian's mother held a generous platter of steaming-fresh cookies, a cheeky grin tugging at her lips. Sam immediately brightened up, fishing out the first cookie he could get his eager hand on, while Seb sent his mum a nod in appreciation. She affectionately ruffled his hair before she left, so he naturally shot her a glare as she walked away, smoothing his bangs back in front of his eyes. 

Sam just laughed at him.

Seb shifted his scathing glare towards his best friend instead, though this only succeeded in worsening the other's laughter. Something important seemed to cross Sam's mind as he suddenly stopped, eerily silent, as he frowned at the ceiling. 

"Hey..." he started, almost hesitant, which piqued Seb's curiosity; Sam was rarely nervous. "We're best friends, right?" the blond asked, meeting his gaze. 

One of Sebastian's eyebrows slowly slid upwards, slightly crinkling his forehead. "Yeah...?" he drawled out, unsure where this was coming from.

"I think I'm in love with Penny," Sam bluntly stated, voice slightly panicking. 

Sebastian blinked, clearly not expecting this. Well, he had been certain Sam already knew as much, it was just so fucking obvious. "So... eh. Okay." Seb uncomfortably shifted in is seat, grabbing a cookie. "So..?"

Sam gave him a slightly nervous smile. "Well, can you help me? What should I do?"

Seb deeply inhaled, the fresh cookie scent immensely pleasant, passing a hand through his hair. He was trying to buy himself some time, though it didn't help all that much. "I'm sure the girls can help you better than I ever could with that," he reasoned, carefully eyeing his best friend. He still decided to add, "But you could just tell her, you know."

"What if she says she doesn't?" Sam immediately countered, ignoring the other's first suggestion. It seemed he was bent on only asking him for advice, for some reason. 

Sebastian shook his head. "She won't," he steadfastly assured.

The blonde smiled at that, as if these few words had lifted all the nervousness from his shoulders. "I really appreciate that brutal honestly of yours," he unexpectedly spoke up, catching the other off guard. "I can only believe you when you say stuff so seriously like that..." he trailed off, sheepishly scratching the back of his head. "Thanks, man."

Ah, so that was why.

Seb gave him an honest smile and a short nod. "No prob."

* * *

_"Me tienes tan debilitada  
Todas mis fuerzas se me van si estas aquí..."_

Sebastian froze. He looked over at the house on his right, where every window from the second floor were opened. A sweet singing voice -- Lauryan's -- faintly mellowed from them. He could easily recognise the language, recognize Spanish's soft rolls, though he had no idea what she was saying. 

_"Quisiera hacerte un gran poema  
Y usar el cielo de papel..."_

It crossed his mind that she translated for a living, in turn making him wonder which other languages she could speak... Still, he shook the thoughts away from his mind, thin locks of drenched hair sticking to his forehead. He resumed his walk up to the docks, grip his grip on Maru's umbrella reflexively flexing. He faintly smiled at nothing in particular as he reminded himself of the post-it his half-sister had stuck on the handle. It had a winking smile on it.

On his way back much later, the rain only poured harsher. He liked it better. Still, it was getting late and he eventually needed to head back home. As he walked up the path, he unconsciously glanced up at Lauryan's windows. 

They were opened all the way, and seeing as her room was the one with the bay windows, the girl in question was sitting by the edge, back leaning against the wall. Her eyes were closed, though smiling, as she brought a large cup to her lips. A fuzzy blanket was strewn across her lazily folded legs.

Sebastian quickly glanced away, frowning at himself, and continued his trek back home. He didn't miss her. That was completely and utterly ludicrous. 

Right.

* * *

He had never really been fond of festivals, though this one, except Halloween of course, might just very well be his favourite. Late at night, everyone gathered at the docks, staring at the vast emptiness of the ocean, just to catch a glimpse of the migrating, ethereally glowing jellyfishes. 

Sebastian was sitting at the very end of the docks, legs dangling in the air below him. It was still a bit too early for the herd, though a few early jellyfishes were already gliding their way past him in the distance. He could hear Abigail and Lauryan talk not too far away, though they were speaking too low for him to make out their words. Sam was sitting on the adjacent side, staring off into space it seemed.

It didn't take too long after that for Lewis to send the signal, and not too long after that, giant jellyfishes floated their way to them. Sebastian had always wondered why they had always been so timely, though he had always enjoyed the sight, so he had put his question to rest a while back. As one of the jellyfishes nearly reached him, he heard someone sit next to him. 

He spared a glance that way, only to see Lauryan. Sam quickly joined him on his other side, while Abby sat next to Lauryan. The four friends just watched the sight in silence. Seb spared a glance at the girls, only to see them leaning against each other. He wanted to kick himself when he thought he'd wish Lauryan had leaned against him instead. 

Now that he thought about it, besides the few evenings when she sat with him by the lake, he hadn't seen much of Lauryan over the past three weeks. She hadn't even come to visit his man-cave once, and on Fridays, she had spent most of her time furiously writing in her notebook, nearly shutting out Abigail when she talked to her. 

On each rainy day -- they were getting a bit more frequent as autumn slowly coloured the forests in flames -- he had noticed she had always been sitting at her window, eyes closed, with that steaming cup in her hands. If she wasn't there, her blanket was instead, betraying her earlier presence. He was nearly embarrassed on behalf of himself to have noticed something as trivial as that last thing, but it was true. 

Then he felt something on his shoulder. He didn't need to look to know it was the girl that had occupied his thoughts mere moments ago. He leaned his head back on hers, and the moment he did, he felt her head sink a bit, as if she had been tense before. He frowned at the next jellyfish that caught his gaze. 

They just sat there as the lazy animals passed by, watching their soft blue glow shimmering below the calm waves' surface. All too soon, the ocean darkened completely once more. Sam was first to leave them, probably to talk to Penny a bit more before the festival officially ended. The fool still hadn't told her anything yet... The minute Abigail stood up, Lauryan made to follow.

He didn't notice he had grabbed her wrist in order to keep her there a while more before she softly called his name in curiosity. He blinked, glanced back at a retreating Abby, and settled his neutral gaze on Lauryan. She had sat back down, now staring at him with a quirked eyebrow. The moonlight shyly reflected off her piercing. 

"What's wrong?" he asked her as he let her wrist go, though the question came out more bluntly demanding than he had thought. 

She blinked once, her tell when she was taken by surprise, only to innocently ask back, "What do you mean?" The unimpressed look he sent her back made her avert her gaze, glancing down at the water. "Okay, okay, you got me..." she sighed, before risking her guilty gaze back at him. "But I don't want to talk about it; not now, at least." 

He searched her gaze for a short while before he nodded. "Okay."

"Okay...?" she echoed, frowning in confusion. Her brow immediately relaxed, as if she just realized who she was talking to, and appreciatively smiled. "Thanks."

He just hummed in response. After a short while, he fished his cigarettes from his pocket and lit one, making the young woman next to him stifle a chuckle. He glanced at her through the corner of his eyes, slightly irritated. "What."

She shrugged. "Nothing, really..." she trailed off, smiling, as she watched over the horizon.

He turned his gaze back over there as well, harshly sighing, but didn't say anything else. That's when he remembered something he had been meaning to tell her, but with her recent absence, he didn't get around to tell her. 

He stared at his cigarette's faint light as he suddenly spoke up, "I often feel like a stranger in my own family."

Lauryan looked back at him, though kept quiet, as if she knew he'd continue on his own.  
And he did. 

"Maru has both her parents, while Demetrius looks down at me like I'm a failure--" he cut himself off, dryly chuckling at himself. "That sounds way too melodramatic, sorry." He glanced upwards. "It's just... You share personal thoughts with me, I'd just thought to... try and do the same."

"Don't apologize, it's fine," she kindly replied, alluding to the first part, and added, glancing upwards as well, "You just... genuinely listen. It's incredibly hard not to spill your guts out with that sweet trait of yours..." she chuckled to herself. "Things are getting better with Maru, though, right?"

"Err... How would you know?" he replied, confused, glancing back at her. 

She smirked. "I see you huddled under her umbrella when you go for your rainy walks." She then turned to look at him, thankfully missing the faint rush of blood to his cheeks due to the darkness. "Plus she told me you started smiling at her sometimes." 

He was about to reply something when another voice rather loudly cut in from far away, "Okay kids, time to get home!"

Both turned to look behind them only to see Isabella standing there, hands on her hips, with a dangerous smirk nearly splitting her face in two. Robin was standing next to her, trying and failing to catch her laughter with her hand, as his step family stood a few footsteps further away. 

The two young adults stood up and told each other good night, though Sebastian mumbled a couple of muffled profanities under his breath as he reached his family. His mother ruffled his hair and he just huffed in irritation, making her laugh once more. Lauryan had already been walking away with her mum, though she turned around in curiosity with Robin's laughter. He glared at her so she'd keep quiet as he smoothed out his hair, and she sent a cheeky wink his way as a silent reply before she continued walking away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For curious people, the Spanish song is Espacio Sideral by Jesse Y Joy :)
> 
> Thanks for reading! :)


	8. Coffee and Sleepless Nights

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update, but here in Norway, the 17th is a pretty big deal and I have been really busy with my host family ;P
> 
> Hope you like this chapter! I'll try my best to come up with something for Sunday; you have no idea how hard it's been to come up with stuff lately, especially with this crippling self-doubt of mine ^^"

Sweat slicked his hair to his forehead, his breathing greedy and shallow. He swallowed the lump in his throat as he passed a hand through his annoying hair, trying to recall in his drowsiness why he was in such a state. The sheets had tangled themselves around him, and he had to kick them away in order to find his freedom. Pulling himself into a sitting position, his bare feet met the welcomed cold hardwood floor. He held his throbbing forehead with his hand, eyes shut tight; shoulders slumped. 

Sebastian harshly yawned, though he perfectly knew he wouldn’t be able to fall back asleep after that. Oh, how he hated his plaguing nightmares, those he never managed to remember upon waking – not remembering might just be the worst part…

He grabbed the black t-shirt he had left crumpled on the floor, swiftly pulling it back on with a defeated sigh. He then stood up, heading for the first floor, to the kitchen. Walking past the oven, he rolled his eyes: he’d only managed about two hours of sleep. Typical.

Once the coffee beans were grounded, he spooned the powder in the filter and poured water in the coffee machine, turning it on afterwards. He leaned against the counter, arms crossed, and he glared at the inside of his eyelids as the comforting gurgling of boiling water reached his tired ears. 

Fresh coffee thermos cup in hand, Sebastian headed back down his room as he lazily rubbed the sleep from his eyes in vain. A rather strong shiver made him set down the cup on his desk and he searched around the room for his hoodie. He yawned once more and drowsy tears stung his eyes. He blinked a few times to clear his vision as he turned on his computer. 

Once he had loaded up the first video game that crossed his mind, he played for about half an hour before he suddenly grew bored of it. He opened up another one, though the same thing happened once more not too long afterwards. Heavily sighing, he leaned back into his chair and passed a hand through his hair. He took a gulp of warm coffee before he turned his computer off again. He headed outside.

Luckily, it was early autumn; it wasn’t too cold out. 

The night sky was surely blanketed with clouds for he couldn’t see any stars or even the moon shining through the still darkness. It was quiet, except for the odd cricket slicing though the silence now and again. When he reached the lake’s water, he just stood there. He glanced at the caves in the distance, though decided against the thought that had slowly started to creep up his mind. 

He absent-mindedly stared at the quiet lake – no ripples even graced its surface. He sighed as his fingers itched to hold onto a lit cigarette, though he didn’t feel like going back inside just to fetch them. 

A shy breeze suddenly picked up, making his hair slightly sway, as well as send a few ripples across the lake. A few loose leaves filtered through the air, and he followed them with his gaze. He took another gulp of his coffee.

* * *

“Yeah, uh, sorry ‘bout that…” Sam sheepishly apologized as he rubbed the back of his neck. “I just forgot to tell you yesterday.”

Sebastian rolled his eyes, though, gave him a faint, reassuring lopsided smile. “It’s fine, don’t worry,” he shrugged, as he turned off the synthesizer. “We still had a good run today.”

“Yeah!” the blond cheerfully exclaimed, widely grinning. He gingerly set his bass guitar on its stand, passing a nervous hand in his messy hair. It was odd to see him so nervous, and honestly, unnerving. 

As Seb was about to take his leave, Sam asked him, “Hey, what do you think I should do?”

To this, Sebastian rolled his eyes and sighed in exasperation. He pinched the bridge of his nose as he turned to face his best friend, his gaze set into an unamused deadpan. “We’ve already has this conversation, Sam.”

“Yeah, but…” the other trailed off, slightly pouting. 

Seb cut him off before he could resume his train of thought. “What have I said each time?”

“Just tell her…” the blond mumbled under his breath, childishly glaring at the floor. Sebastian mused Sam was acting much like a younger brother. It was simultaneously touching and infuriating. 

“You know my answer, then.”

“Then how should I tell her?” the kicked puppy nearly pleaded. 

Seb crossed his arms and cocked an unimpressed eyebrow. “Do I look like fucking Elliott to you?”

Sam slightly tilted his head and hummed in mock-thought. “Yes..?” Sebastian rolled his eyes, though spared his best friend a faint, amused smile. “But seriously, dude, how’d you do it?”

The other’s features morphed into honest confusion. “Do what?”

It was Sam’s turn to look confused. “Well, you have Lauryan, don’t you?”

Sebastian blinked. “…I do?”

The guitar player had the decency to look uneased. “Wait… you don’t?” Seb slowly shook his head, making him frown in incredulity. “But you’re nearly always together. And kinda touchy.” 

Seb nonchalantly shrugged. “She’s the touchy one, if you hadn’t noticed,” he countered. “She’s like that with you and Abby, too.” 

He couldn’t think of anything on the spot for Sam’s first point. Were they always together? He had apparently become her confidant, yeah, yet between a forgetful puppy, a short-tempered violet and a taciturn geek, he didn’t blame her to have chosen the latter for that.

Sam seemed to ponder on his words before he nodded, seeming to have caught his point, and wisely decided to drop the subject for once. “I’ll just, uh, tell her.” The slightly confused look an absent-minded Sebastian sent him made him add, though much more nervously. “Penny. I’ll… I’ll tell her. Today.”

Seb gave him a soft, encouraging smile. “You’ll be fine.” Sam only hummed an absent-minded reply as he mussed up his Goku hairstyle. Seb then chuckled as he added. “You have enough gel as it is, just go. You’re almost late.”

This seemed to snap the other from his thoughts as he checked the watch on his wrist. “Oh, right, thanks, dude,” he twitchily replied as he dashed out of the room. 

Sebastian shook his head, amused, as he headed out as well. With his best friend’s impromptu date and him already out in town, he thought maybe a short trip to the library-slash-museum could prove itself worth it. It was quiet there, and he had always liked to think Saturday was his official day off.

On the way over there, he noticed Lauryan sitting on the bridge’s short wall, deeply invested in the conversation she had with Elliott. It seemed he caught her eye since she glanced his way, sent him a smile and a short wave before delving back into her discussion with her fellow writer. Seb had sent her a nod back before she did, though. 

The moment he pushed the library’s door, the comfortingly sweet scent of old books twirled around him. The curator sent a welcoming nod his way, and he returned the gesture before he headed deeper into the room. Walking along the shelves, he noticed Abigail was in a corner, curled up with a book and buried in colourful cushions. 

He didn’t want to bother her, so he basically ignored her. He slowly browsed through the rows of books, aimlessly, glancing over the various titles. Curious about how the new museum collection was coming along, he walked over that section of the building. There were many more artefacts on display this time around. He lingered a bit more before the stones he easily recognized as obsidians and frozen tears, a faint smile creeping its way to his thin lips.

* * *

Only the constant, soft sound of pressed keys echoed through the dark room, though he couldn’t hear any of it due to the music booming through his headphones. It was well past midnight. Having had decided to spend the better part of his day lazily lounging in the piles of cushions in the library, which had most likely amused a nearby Abby, he had had much time to comfortably brainstorm his video game. 

He had been writing line after line of code ever since he had gotten home. 

Without looking away from his screen and continuing with only one hand, he reached out for his coffee mug, which was resting by the side of the keyboard. He wrinkled his nose as the cold liquid washed over his tongue, and he swallowed with a grimace. Glaring at the cold coffee, he grabbed the large coffee thermos he had brought with him and poured more of the normally scalding liquid into its cold variant. Rebalance the fucking thing. 

He shamelessly yawned, his jaw cracking at the sudden, sharp movement, after which he nearly downed the whole cup of coffee he had just poured. He poured himself another, though did not repeat the previous experience. He avidly continued coding, his ideas embedding themselves into document after document of Dreamweaver. 

Next thing he knew, he felt a rather slender hand gently rest against his shoulder. He tore himself away from his personal project, blinking away the glare that had burned onto his retina. He looked up, locking his gaze with Lauryan’s. He frowned in both surprise and confusion. 

“The fuck are you doing here?”

Completely disregarding his question, she leaned a bit closer to his face with a scrutinizing expression glued on her face. He backed away a little, startled by her action. She then softly poked the skin right below his eye with an index and spoke up, strangely stern, “Well, you look like shit.”

He rolled his eyes, keeping his gaze fixed on his monitor. “And I had finally built the courage to enter my first beauty pageant…” he sarcastically shot back though his teeth. 

“Sebastian,” the girl sternly insisted, twirling his chair so he would face her instead. He met her serious gaze with a glare. “Dark circles may be your personal fashion choice,” she added, trying to defuse the tense atmosphere she had foolishly created. “But seriously, this is ridiculous.” She glanced at the side, noticing the family-size coffee thermos pitcher he had filled sometime during the night. She sighed, pulling up a chair in front of him as she strangely softly asked “When was the last time you got any good sleep?”

He cocked an eyebrow. Still no lectures from her? Huh. There was no point in lying, then... “I don’t know, maybe three, four days ago?”

Her gaze narrowed, though mostly out of incredulity. “…What?” 

He shrugged this time around, gaze following the hardwood cracks on the floor. “I’ve just been having nightmares.”

“Just nightmares?” she skeptically echoed, drawling out the two words. 

His gaze snapped up to hers as he glared at her. “I’ve been sleeping: I just wake up from them after a couple of hours and I can’t get back to sleep afterwards.” He didn’t mean to growl that, though. He reasoned his lack of sleep was chopping off large chunks of his temper. 

“Oh…” was all she managed to say, blinking away the lines marring her forehead. 

She had the decency to look away in embarrassment. Then, she grinned, making him thin is lips in a straight line. Seb could clearly see the lightbulb shining away above her head, and he didn’t like it already.

“My first job was working as a babysit—”

“No,” he immediately cut her off, glaring at her. “And I’m probably older than you.”

“Twenty-three,” she countered, though it didn’t seem like she was arguing the contrary. She stared back at him expectantly with a smile. 

He held her stare as he replied, “Twenty-five.”

“It doesn’t matter, though,” she then countered, smirking, seemingly satisfied with herself. “I’m just suggesting my fail-proof plan when it comes to other people’s nightmares – I just thought context would help. Hear me out.” 

He really did want to get rid of these nightmares, so he crossed his arms, silently staring back at her. He sighed in order to hide his slight eagerness. “I’m listening,” he managed to slide through his teeth.

She smiled as she simply said, “I’ll sing you a lullaby.”

He pinched the bridge of his nose, tightly shutting his eyes. “No. It’s not falling asleep that’s the problem, it’s the nightmare itself.”

It was her turn to roll her eyes, though she was smiling all the way. “I know, but it's for after that, once you wake up. I could sing something in your phone, and you just pop it on when you wake up from it.” 

He slowly nodded, her words sinking in. He didn’t understand why she wanted to help him that much, though that was what friends were for, after all. Maybe she wanted to pay him back somehow for helping her pick out Sam’s birthday present a while back. He doubted a lullaby would help, seeing as he had tried listening to songs in order to fall asleep before. Though, he didn’t really know any lullabies. He did tend to always sing the songs he liked in his mind; perhaps that hadn’t been helping and had rather been keeping him awake… 

Then, something sprung to his mind, something rather important. 

“Wait, how did you get in here anyways? And why?” he asked her. Wasn’t the front door locked? It was greatly ironic that such a small town would lock their doors at night, but the strange sounds they heard once in a while was enough to keep the least superstitious on their toes, like his step-father…

She failed to bite back her laughter. “It’s past three in the afternoon; aren’t you hungry at all?”

His gaze widened as it immediately darted to the corner of his screen. Now that she mentioned it, natural light filtered through the cracks between his thick curtains. “Not really, no…” he confessed. “Though I should still probably get something…” he then admitted, sheepishly rubbing a hand behind his neck.

She grinned, patting his shoulder as she picked up his phone and unlocked it herself. “Go fix yourself something while I record a couple of lullabies,” she told him with bright smile. “Take your time, though…” she added, trailing off with an adorably shy smile as she tapped on the microphone app.


End file.
